Mann- Centre for individuals with special needs.

Saturday, 20 September 2014

Sari's on my mind

The month of July, August and the
start of September have been very fulfilling. I have been so flooded with
garment shoots that most of which have been sari brands. My mind is saturated
with Sari clad ladies –all related ideas come to mind and I try to be as
creative as I can with them. Over the past few years doing uncountable portfolios
and running campaigns for various garment brands have helped me gain solid confidence
and that is going to stay as my forte.

In the past my perspective used to
be that a Model would help me take and make a good click. Now, it's twisted to
a format of basically looking at garments. Over the past 2 months I have been
breathing more of garments, more of sarees. I've been looking at sari's also in
such a manner that I wake up in the morning and think that if I look at any
girl in a sari on the road, the thought of her would give me some new ideas
that would be essential to put it to work. I am just trying to be innovative
and seeking better ways with a very dynamic approach to what I love to do.

This was never the case in my life,
I mean I would only look at a model and get confined to all technical aspects
only, but now I think of creative ways to do a photo shoot with her, make a
portfolio etc. And when I would look at a girl, then I would look at her
expressions and think of how to accentuate her smile, her eyes, her face, her
hair. Now-a-days, I look at a model as that special object to be shot by the
camera, as that someone who can be an important source of giving grace to all
my respective work. But what’s even more important to me is How Sari’s can
bring all the extra elegance and grace that she actually needs. There is a focus
shift over here. My interest has been diverted towards stylish sarees and
authentic garments that come in different combinations and patterns. Shoots
with models wearing Sari’s have taken a peak in my career. So the diversion now
from looking at how the girl was – as in the earlier case, has now moved to the
product. Today i look at everything as a potential product even when i do a
model make-over. I believe models need the recognition that they should get,
whether its a model, who has to be absorbed for a TV serial/Ad shoot so to say.
If it’s a sari - i look at it in that way, if it’s a shirt - i look at it in
the perspective of suiting and shirting's. I try to work with a lot of
creativity whilst giving my undivided attention to things- sometimes its a
model portfolio, sometimes it’s a saree, sometimes its a model in shirt, so i
am very much tuned to a lot of versatility.The
way I see it, we have too many 'photographers' and not enough 'Innovative thinkers'.
I even did a shoot for the brand Ramesh shirting's. There are a lot of
great opportunities in the photography industry as a career, the different
styles in garments and sarees gives me a lot of opportunity that I can use it
to my benefit. Looking at sarees has broadened my horizons. And these two
months have made my usual tendencies go in for a 180 degree flip. Today,
selling the product in the best way possible through my photography has become
my prime focus.

It's so funny when I think of how
the brain gets atuned to few things if repeatedly trained. Maybe that is what
conditioning is all about. A few nights ago I was in a club for a party, and
there was this woman dancing in a sari, immediately that raced into my thoughts
and seeing what I did I had an idea that sparked in my mind - I can actually
have a girl in a club dancing in a sari as a concept. My latest apprehension
has been about using the setting of a Ganpati idol for my next shoot that
immediately caught my attention during Ganpati darshan. All my friends think
that I am gone crazy and these thoughts may not seem right to them but this is
the only thing that is real- that's how my mind is working. My Profession is my
Passion. This is what I love to do. I have become so pre-occupied and
inquisitive with such thoughts around saris and so much aware of the presence
of this garment called sari in my life and environment that it is almost like
an alarm, it rings a bell in my system. So if you have some fun concepts that
you could share with me, I'd be happy to hear them, and who knows I may just
really love your idea and use it too. Until then I will go back to spending my
days and nights draped and cuddled in sari's instead of bedsheets.